Not sure if you have any first hand experience but the gates do work. I can absolutely tell from the shape of the wake what position the gate is in while behind my boat. You can also feel the back of the boat move when you adjust the gate.

Mastercraft is coming out with a econo line using the 205v hull. They will use analog gauges, plug n play ballast, removable carpet, simple 2 tone gel designs, and is expected to run 50-56 out the door.........

Mastercraft is coming out with a econo line using the 205v hull. They will use analog gauges, plug n play ballast, removable carpet, simple 2 tone gel designs, and is expected to run 50-56 out the door.........

Boat will be called the X-you miss

LOL!

I think the 205V is done forever, but I have heard a few times about an econo-replacement. Time will tell...

X46 is about to be released, and the new ProStar is finally on its way... (Longer wait than the new Xstar for those that don't ski)

I think the 205V is done forever, but I have heard a few times about an econo-replacement. Time will tell...

X46 is about to be released, and the new ProStar is finally on its way... (Longer wait than the new Xstar for those that don't ski)

Looking forward to seeing the new stuff from Nautique.

I know but thinking about a new 205 gets me jittery. Pretty sure any rumors about the econo line are just that. Everyone I have talked to says its not going to happen. The new prostar is far overdue but in reality those are well designed boats that just need a few tweaks. Hopefully they don't get too cute with it.

The cats system is a REALLY good idea to clean up the wake. I boarded behind a 233 last year, and with the boat full of people, we had a difficult time cleaning it up on both sides (Deep V boats are temperamental that way). Ramfill looks like it fills crazy fast too.

Looks like Centurion is stepping their game up and building a boat that can both surf and wakeboard with the best of them.

Supra and Moomba both supposedly have new models, but it is just Facebook gossip. Not sure anything about them or seen pics. I know they just had their photo shoots last week, so maybe rumors will surface soon. Fair to say with the success of the Mojo and the SA they will have smaller versions maybe??????

doesn't the CATS system do the same thing as the surf gate and NSS? I am not trying to diss, just wondering. they all "crab walk" the boat, right? if not, please let me know. either way if it works, i like it!!!

doesn't the CATS system do the same thing as the surf gate and NSS? I am not trying to diss, just wondering. they all "crab walk" the boat, right? if not, please let me know. either way if it works, i like it!!!

It looks like cats is more of a fine tuning system not full on surfgate or nss. Also both those systems do not deploy at wakeboard speeds.

Some pretty cool stuff from Centurian but from the prices that I just looked at most of the new Enzos were 70k and up. Know with all the new stuff you are know looking at a boat most likely 90k and up. All of these new boat models coming out with all these cool features, but to me they are making them a pipe dream for most people. But I sure do like seeing all the new ideas coming out.

I wonder how this tuneable CATs system affects the size of the wake... it is creating lift on the side of the boat that is heavy it seems - similar to a trim tab, but doesn't look like wake shape is affected... If shape stays the same, is the size the same as an evenly weighted boat if the weight in each boat is the same? My mind says no... but I wonder what the real world implications are...

With the overall success of the Mojo and how well people have received it, I think it would make sense that they would want to continue that formula either up the line or down the line as far as size is concerned. I think we'll all find out soon!

But, knowing those out of the box thinking design team at Skiers Choice these days, I wouldn't be surprised if we see something total new!

Has the middle class boater almost completely dissapeared? At least as far as new boats go? Apparently the real upper class is the only thing supporting these new boats. You would think there would be some room for a real entry level priced boat but those don't seem to even sell that well until you add all the crazy option anyways that push it up into the crazy price range.

I wonder if the world of cable parks is really going to start catching on in the U.S.? It seems like the only way to get the middle class and upper middle class into the sport.

Can anybody tell me what the build cost is of a 21' wakeboat. I am talking strictly just the parts,labor, overhead for an individual boat. Does a 21' boat cost more than 25k to build? I know you have to factor other things in like mold design and maintanance cost but still. Aren't most boats built in just a couple days from start to finish? Labor can't cost much more than a couple grand can it? I mean it isn't like a shop rate of $100 an hour. I am guessing most boat builders make less than $20/hour. Even if it takes 3 people, 3 8 hour days that is only about $1500 in labor. Is there 20k in parts in most of these boats that don't have LCD screens? I was told by Mike Brendell that a new mold cost somewhere in the neighborhood of a half million. I would hope they get at least 500 boats out of each mold before it needs to be completely redesigned. 500,000/500=$1000 per boat produced. Is there huge insurance costs that go into operating a boat manufacturing facility? You can't add freight as that gets added on after the fact anyway.

It seems like the boat builder's must make a pretty hefty margin unless they are spending an insane amount of money on marketing(I would consider sales reps as part of the marketing portion). Is there a huge amount of dollar allocation to warranty potential?

Sorry for my off topic rambling. I just kind of wonder where this industry is going. I know one thing that is popping up around Seattle is peer to peer boat sharing. Seattle is an incredibly expensive place to buy and use a boat. For those that actually live in the city most wouldn't have the space to keep on a trailer on their property. That means mooring or putting in dry stacks. Dry stacks are about $300+ a month and most require a 12 month lease. That means you pay $3600/year to use your boat 4 months or so a year. For actual months you use the boat it breaks down to about $900/month to be able to use your boat in the city. That is craziness. Boat sharing seems to be a way to get more people into boating without having to shell out that kind of dough. Even if you pay $400 a day to use a boat you get to use it 9 times a year before you even get to the point where you would pay for the storage of the boat.

It has for people unwlling to finance. The age of cheap financing is 'the' major reason for boat price inflation. But there are some good things that come from that as well. Better resale being the big one.

Partnerships are a good way, as well. My last airplane was in a partnership, as was the boat previous to the one I own now. Partnerships can be great if done properly.

But boating has always been expensive. Wakeboarding has required manufacturers to do a LOT more. You can still buy plenty of I/Os cheaply.